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The momentum of the counterattack continued to grow.
The views for Typhoon steadily increased, and the number of comments and recommendations surged as time went on.
The fervor reached the point where it surpassed Filkrum’s latest short story, The Bully Hunter.
When Typhoon finally exceeded the recommendation count of The Bully Hunter, people began to say:
DragonC had overtaken Filkrum.
The perennial second- or third-rate artist had finally risen to the level where he could compete with top-tier creators.
The curious part was Filkrum’s reaction.
He remained utterly silent about DragonC’s magnum opus. Whether he was in shock or dealing with personal issues was anyone’s guess.
The entire Failnet community wholeheartedly celebrated DragonC’s triumphant return.
Though DragonC expressed humble gratitude, his true feelings were different.
He revealed them only to me.
Message from DragonC:
Does winning or losing even matter? I’m just so happy right now, in this moment.
SKELTON: Really?
Message from DragonC:
Could I have ever dreamed of this before the war? A washed-up artist like me, without a single hit to my name, being compared to a top-class creator? It’s all a miracle brought about by the war.
Message from DragonC:
I truly feel alive right now!
Even through the text, I could feel DragonC’s joy.
There was no doubt about it.
He was genuinely grateful for the current circumstances.
For a brief moment, the rivalry between the two artists, which had set both Failnet and Viva! Apocalypse! ablaze, seemed to end like a fairytale.
But their story wasn’t over yet.
There was still more to come.
*
Message from DragonC:
I have to complete my final work before I die.
SKELTON: You mean Remnant?
Message from DragonC:
Yeah. That’s the one thing I absolutely have to draw. Even if it kills me, I’ve decided to finish it.
SKELTON: A masterpiece for the ages?
Message from DragonC:
It’s nothing that grand. More like the desperate struggle of a man with little time left. But anyway, just wait. Something exciting is coming soon.
That exciting news never came.
Another event overshadowed it entirely.
Filkrum88: I concede defeat, DragonC.
Filkrum publicly admitted defeat.
On a forum visible to everyone, he declared himself beaten.
But his message was riddled with enough questionable details to cast doubt on his sincerity.
The message shocked the entire Failnet community.
Filkrum, who had long been considered untouchable in the art world, not only admitted defeat but also begged to join DragonC in his bunker.
And his effusive praise for Remnant left everyone wondering—just what kind of monumental work was DragonC creating?
*
"......"
It was probably my fault that things escalated like this.
After all, it was me, Park Gyu, who turned into an 11-year-old skeptic about the whole Jeju Island convoy plan.
With Failnet invasions now reduced to barely once a day and the forum users bored out of their minds, the popular post from Filkrum88 stirred up quite an intriguing reaction.
Keystone: Wow, it's Filkrum88. I’m a huge fan of High School Emperor.
Anonymous848: Is he starting a studio? Could be an unexpected synergy.
Unicorn18: Filkrum88, can I request a commission, please?
Defender: Hey, Filkrum88, you alone?
As always, my internet friend Defender was the one to see the situation for what it truly was.
The tone of his reply made it clear his younger sibling had taken over the keyboard.
Defender: Don’t tell me you’re bringing the full misery set—kids, wife, parents—all strung together like a sausage chain. We’re already starting to see folks running low on food.
It took about one minute and ten seconds for a reply to appear.
Filkrum88: Including my wife, son, and younger brother, it’s a three-person family.
Defender: Younger brother?
Filkrum88: Yes, my younger brother.
Defender: lol.
My radio buzzed.
"Skelton! Are you on your computer?"
As expected, Da-jeong’s excited voice rang out.
"That bastard—no, that guy! Isn’t he shameless? Huh?"
"...Yeah, kind of."
It’s hard enough to take in a family, but three adult males?
That’s basically announcing his intent to seize the bunker.
And besides, while DragonC’s bunker was spacious enough for one person, wouldn’t it be a bit cramped for four?
I took a sip of the coffee DragonC had gifted me and asked Da-jeong, "How do you think DragonC will respond?"
"Of course, he’ll refuse, right?"
"Yeah, I think so too."
It’s something I always feel—people are truly unpredictable.
Is there anything as changeable and hard to predict as the human mind?
Sometimes I wonder.
If humans were as straightforward as monsters, maybe this world wouldn’t be as interesting.
DragonC, against everyone’s expectations, chose the unexpected.
DragonC: Sure.
*
I attended the meeting between Filkrum88 and DragonC out of a sense of obligation.
If I hadn’t responded to DragonC’s messages, his triumphant return wouldn’t have been possible, and Filkrum would have had no reason to apologize.
Of course, I wouldn’t have been able to see DragonC for a while, but that’s beside the point.
Unlike DragonC, who had secured a safe bunker, Filkrum’s reality weighed heavily on him.
If Filkrum failed to properly prepare for the future, died, and DragonC ended up being the sole survivor, wouldn’t that ultimately mean DragonC had won?
However, DragonC’s perspective was clearly very different from mine.
Regardless, the situation unfolded.
On one side, there were four people: Filkrum88, his family, and his younger brother.
On the other, there was just DragonC.
Perhaps my presence gave DragonC the courage to stand tall.
"Hello?"
Filkrum88 looked exactly like what people imagined a successful webtoon artist to be.
A youthful appearance, fair skin, and an air of detached indifference, or perhaps a condescending gaze at the world.
He extended a hand to me first.
"Are you DragonC?"
This guy.
Didn’t he claim to have met DragonC before?
Feeling a growing sense of irritation, I stepped aside to make way for DragonC.
"I’m DragonC, Filkrum88."
"Please call me Shim Ho-jun. You seem older than me."
"I’m Choi Yong-soo."
The two creators shook hands.
Throughout, Filkrum wore a constant smile.
DragonC, in contrast, remained mostly expressionless. Occasionally, he’d force an awkward smile in response to Filkrum’s words but generally allowed Filkrum to steer the conversation.
"I’m really, truly sorry. Honestly. It’s embarrassing to think I tried to provoke someone as good-natured as you, Yong-soo hyung. Truly a black mark on my record. But what can you do? Life gets hard and frustrating. When I was kicked out of Seoul and had to move to Incheon, man, that was the worst. I was furious, thinking, ‘Shim Ho-jun, you’ve fallen all the way to Incheon!’"
"Incheon’s my hometown," DragonC replied with a wry smile.
"Oh, my apologies. I didn’t mean it like that. Haha."
Filkrum’s family, unlike Kim Daram, seemed satisfied with the bunker’s facilities.
That probably meant they’d been living in even worse conditions.
Not that I cared much about Filkrum or his family.
They seemed like legitimate family members, and Filkrum appeared to be the artist he claimed to be.
Watching him effortlessly sketch a striking male character on his tablet was like witnessing magic.
What really caught my attention was Filkrum’s so-called younger brother.
Standing nearly 190 cm tall with a muscular, trained physique, he bore no resemblance to Filkrum at all.
In fact, it was strange to think they were siblings.
From the start, he exuded an unsettling vibe and soon addressed DragonC in a blunt tone.
"Hey, old man. Do you live alone?"
The term "old man" visibly irritated DragonC, but the guy simply smirked, completely ignoring any consideration for DragonC’s feelings.
"I do live alone."
"Ah, I thought so. I figured as much from the bachelor stench."
Then he turned to look at me.
"And who’s this? A friend? Bodyguard? Something like that?"
It seemed I wasn’t even worth acknowledging.
Given his towering height and intimidating build, I supposed he felt confident enough to act that way.
DragonC glanced at Filkrum for an explanation.
Filkrum, still smiling, introduced him.
"Oh, this is my younger brother. We don’t look alike, but if not for him, I wouldn’t have dared to come here. He’s a hunter."
"A hunter?"
"Yes, he’s even participated in the war. Though now, he says he’s been overshadowed by those… Awakened types, I think?"
Filkrum’s brother scoffed and suddenly spun a dagger in his hand with impressive agility.
"I left on my own. Staying there would’ve just made me cannon fodder."
He didn’t seem to like me.
After gleefully twirling his dagger, he sheathed it on his thigh and addressed me curtly.
"So why has this old guy been staring at me this whole time? Are you gay?"
"Am I not allowed to look?"
"Do you often get told you have no tact?"
The man cracked his knuckles menacingly.
"If you’ve got a problem, how about a sparring match?"
"No."
"Then stop staring at me and look somewhere else. It’s pissing me off."
"I don’t do sparring. Only the real thing."
I glared at him.
His expression turned hostile as he stood up, yelling, "Hey! You bastard!"
He extended a threatening hand toward me.
I stayed still, watching him, as Filkrum stepped in to block him.
"Hyung-min, calm down!"
"What the hell? This guy’s pissing me off!"
"Come on, let’s keep things peaceful. You’ve been on edge since we got here, Hyung-min."
"It’s those damn corpses on the way! They put me in a bad mood! And now this bastard’s talking about real fights? Give me a break."
"Hyung-min!"
"Ugh, screw it."
Watching the chaos, I couldn’t help but think Hyung-min didn’t seem like a real brother. More like a thug Filkrum had brought along for protection.
I ignored the puffing and panting thug and pulled DragonC outside the bunker.
"Are you sure about this?"
Honestly, it didn’t look good.
That guy was just a gangster.
Filkrum seemed somewhat decent, but he didn’t strike me as particularly good-hearted. If he were, he wouldn’t have brought someone like that thug along.
"I’m pretty sure they’re planning to either kill you or drive you out and take over the bunker."
Not 99%.
100%.
"That could happen," DragonC replied with a bitter smile and a sigh.
Was it just my imagination, or did his already sickly complexion look even darker?
He popped some pills straight into his mouth and swallowed them without water before speaking.
"But Filkrum is the real deal. He’s the genuine article. The very Filkrum I admired from afar."
"I don’t feel good about this."
"Three days."
DragonC held up three fingers.
"Check back with me in three days. If I need help, I’ll let you know."
"No."
I shook my head.
"You contact me in three days. If I don’t hear from you, I’ll come straight over. Doesn’t that make more sense?"
"..."
DragonC looked at me for a moment, then nodded reluctantly.
"...Alright."
He smiled at me.
I couldn’t understand it.
How could someone smile when such a bleak future was staring them in the face?
Was it because he didn’t trust me?
No, that wasn’t it.
Despite being dismissed as a washed-up nobody, the hatred that burned within me hadn’t diminished in the slightest.
Taking a deep breath, I stared at him firmly.
"My callsign is Professor."
"Professor? S-rank?"
"Three seconds."
"Huh?"
"I could deal with that loudmouth inside—including the big guy—in three seconds."
The axe twirled in my palm.
"Answer me."
At first, DragonC looked startled, but then he smiled again, an unfathomable, serene grin.
He gestured for me to lean closer.
I did, and he whispered.
"Remember when Filkrum plagiarized my work and caused me so much trouble? At first, I was furious—so angry I thought my head would explode. I wanted to drive to Incheon and shoot him dead. I even ran through simulations in my mind of how I’d kill him."
"...So why?"
"Over time, I don’t know… It just became okay. I can’t explain it. Maybe it’s my pride as an artist. Maybe it’s something else. But this feeling stirring inside me right now? It’s real."
I looked at DragonC.
His face, darkened by illness, couldn’t hide the sincerity in his expression.
"Just give me three days."
With a heavy heart, I nodded.
This was the path he’d chosen.
I didn’t understand it, but he was still a member of our community.
I respected his decision.
"Oh, and I have a gift for you."
"Another one?"
"Yeah. Come inside for a moment."
The gift DragonC gave me exceeded all expectations.
An espresso machine.
And a massive supply of frozen coffee beans to go with it.
"Can’t you just leave that here? Please?" Filkrum’s wife interjected as she watched.
Nearby, the thug grumbled under his breath while Filkrum tried to placate him.
I was just as puzzled.
"You’re really giving this to me?"
"I quit coffee."
Filkrum’s wife muttered from the side, "We haven’t quit."
Ignoring her, DragonC insisted that I take the espresso machine and beans.
"Please. You came to visit me twice. Compared to that, this is nothing. Just take it—it’s my way of saying thank you!"
"..."
"Don’t worry. I’ve fired a gun before. I may be weak now, but I served full term in the army."
Reluctantly, I took the gift back to my bunker.
Three days passed.
No word came from DragonC.